Junior Black Sox eliminate River Valley in Area tourney
EDITOR’S NOTE: Because the look back at each day in Bryant athletic history has been so favorably received during the time when there was no sports during the COVID-19 shutdown, BryantDaily.com will continueposting past stories of Bryant athletics either posted on BryantDaily.com (from 2009 to the present) or published in the Bryant Times (from 1998 to 2008).
MAUMELLE — As tight as their Area I District Tournament game was on Saturday, their game on Sunday in the second round was a blowout.
In three innings, the Bryant Black Sox Junior American Legion team eliminated River Valley from the tournament with an 18-0 romp that moved the Sox into the winners’ bracket final on Monday at 3 p.m., against the Little Rock Diamondbacks. The winner advances to the championship round on Tuesday.
In the losers’ bracket, Fort Smith will take on Conway with the survivor coming back on Monday to play the loser of the Bryant-Little Rock game.
Josh Turner, with last-inning help from Dakota Clay, pitched the one-hit shutout over the three frames while the Sox hammered out 17 hits to take advantage of four walks, three errors and a hit batsman.
Turner helped his own cause with three hits and four runs batted in. Ryan Riggs and Will Hathcote each had three hits and three RBIs. Lawson Speer, J.T. Parker and Ethan Andrews each had two hits.
The Sox jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the top of the first. On the first pitch of the game, Speer doubled to left. On the second pitch, Parker singled but was out trying to take second as Speer held at third. On the third pitch, Ryan Riggs cracked a single to left to make it 1-0.
Tyler Bates came on as courtesy runner for Riggs, the Bryant catcher, and, on a messed-up pickoff throw to first, wound up at third. After a walk to Aaron Morgan, Hathcote beat out an RBI single on the infield.
Base hits by Andrews and Turner brought Morgan around and left the bases loaded. Clay walked to force in a run before two scored when Blaine Sears grounded to short, resulting in an errant throw to second.
After River Valley, which had lost in the first round to Conway on Saturday, went down in order in the bottom of the inning, the Sox revved up the offense again with knocks from Parker and Riggs. Bates, in for Riggs, stole second and, with one out, Hathcote beat out another infield hit to drive in a run. Andrews’ RBI single to left made it 8-0 then Turner capped the inning with a lined single to center.
River Valley managed a lead-off single in the home second, but the Sox turned a doubleplay off a comebacker to Turner to take the starch out of the rally.
Speer opened the top of the third with a single and Parker walked. Riggs grounded to second, but the ball was misplayed and two more came home. Hits by Morgan and Hathcote made it 12-0 and, after Andrews was struck by a pitch, Turner blooped a single to center to drive in two more.
Andrews came in on Clay’s groundout and, after Sears singled, a walk to Speer loaded the bases. Riggs’ fly to left was misplayed bringing Turner and Sears across the plate, making it 18-0.
With one out in the home third, an error allowed a River Valley batter to reach base but when he tried to get to second, he was thrown out.
Clay relieved and ended the game with a strikeout.
